verhältvsversagtWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“verhält” and “versagt” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#6,480
“verhält” frequency rank
#5,896
“versagt” frequency rank
12376
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature verhält versagt
Definition 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs verhalten Partizip Perfekt des Verbs versagen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set verhält and versagt apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
verhält
7 ch
versagt

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. verhält ([fɛɐ̯ˈhɛlt]) and versagt ([fɛɐ̯ˈzaːkt]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 3 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 12376, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

verhält is recorded at frequency rank #6,480, classified as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈhɛlt]. versagt is at rank #5,896, tagged as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈzaːkt].

Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.

With a confusion score of 12376, this pair ranks #1,964,533 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of verhält vs versagt

Shared letters: ertv. Private to "verhält": hlä. Private to "versagt": ags.

"verhält" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCC  ·  "versagt" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • versagtevrsagt · verasgt · verrsagt · versaggt · versagtt · versatg · versgat · verssagt

Frequency comparison

verhält#6,480
versagt#5,896

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "verhält" and "versagt" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([fɛɐ̯ˈhɛlt] versus [fɛɐ̯ˈzaːkt]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "verhält" or "versagt"?
"versagt" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #5,896 in our German list, against #6,480 for "verhält". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering verhält vs versagt

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “verhält” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list